Although I "like" autofocus lenses, I'm just not comfortable with them.

They don't always focus the way I want. They don't always focus at the same thing I am looking at. They don't always decide on what is in focus or out of focus the way I decide.

Much of the time an autofocus lens can be helpful but I find that, just as much of the time, I have to figure out some way to trick the lens into focusing the way I want it to. This programmable lens seems like a neat idea but, to be honest, it just seems like another thing I'd have to learn how to trick into working the way I want it to. A lot more expensive and time consuming, too.

To be honest, I'd rather just turn a dial or twist a ring until I get things to look the way I want them to. :|

One thing to realize is that this is not an improvement. In this case the firmware is used to correct for less strict quality control in production (or potentially even worse - engineering). You see, before all this focus micro-adjustments, the manufacturers were forced to calibrate their devices to much tighter tolerances before the device got shipped, otherwise they would have to deal with it as a warranty repair. Now - no big deal, the customer can do calibration themselves if they are so picky. In other words, they just made a bad product quality into a feature for which the customer can pay extra. Pure marketing genius!

To all that hate auto-focus, I just hope your eyesight holds up. If not, you will come to accept/love it or give up photography all together.. says Bob knocking on the door to 70 with a developing cataract in his right eye.